2024 Out-of-State Placement Committee Report
“The Out-of-State Placement Committee (Committee) operates within the New York State Council on Children and Families (CCF) to monitor the placement of youth with complex needs in out-of-state residential programs and schools. The Committee was established in 2005 in response to concerns about the quality, safety, and cost of placing New York’s youth in out-of-state residential programs and schools. At the time that the Committee was formed, there were approximately 1,400 youth placed out-of-state. Since then, out-of-state placements have decreased dramatically.
Out-of-state placements” refer to situations in which youth are placed in residential programs or schools outside of New York by a local department of social service (LDSS) or by a Committee on Special Education (CSE) through a school district. These placements typically involve youth with complex medical, behavioral health, developmental, and educational needs.
The Committee plays a critical role in monitoring and improving New York’s approach to residential placement. It collects and analyzes cross-system data to inform service infrastructure, reduce reliance on out-of-state programs, and support system-wide and statewide improvements. This year’s report includes updated data to better align the reporting cycles and the data collected.
Chaired by the executive director of CCF, the Committee includes representatives from the following state agencies: the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), State Education Department (SED), Office of Mental Health (OMH), Office for People With Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD), Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), Department of Health (DOH), Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), and Justice Center for the Protection of People with Special Needs (JC).